Today’s Treasures – Starlings – swooping and swirling, twisting and twirling

I thought I would have to drive to Minsmere to experience the magic of a murmuration – imagine my surprise to find that there is a starling roost near Threapwood, just north of Whitchurch. We arrived just before dusk, excited with anticipation – would the starlings be there?  To begin with there were small flocks in the distance but then they gathered together and flew overhead.  It was an incredible, inspiring, breath-taking experience – spiritual even – I gasped as thousands of starlings filled the sky above me, the sound of their flapping wings an awesome, out of this world, experience.

Weaving never-ending patterns, under and over, creating myriad designs in the darkening sky.  Shifting and swirling, whispering and chattering, weaving in waves, under and over, all around the sound of fluttering wings.

Whirling and twirling, twisting and turning, up and over, around and swooping down, finally coming to roost, chittering and chattering, flittering and flapping, in the trees all around.

So, you don’t have to travel far to experience the magic of a murmuration – there are currently thousands of starlings resident in a wood near you.  Get there just before dusk and you will see them, gradually gathering together into flocks, then they paint their patterns across the sky, as the daylight fades and twilight falls sending shadows around the setting sun, the starlings swirl and twirl and paint shimmering living patterns – a constantly changing kaleidoscope across the sky.

Photographs by Logan Rainford

Published in the March edition of the Whitchurch Gossip